hello live from moscow this is r.t. my name is kevin owen you're watching the way clear around of her top stories from the past seven days and tens of thousands rallied in central moscow on saturday and another peaceful protest over the results of this month's parliamentary election thirty thousand people turned out of the capital according to the russian interior ministry but barely organizers said the true number was over one hundred thousand protesters were calling for a rerun of the election which they claim was rigged the rally echoed the melia one held two weeks ago when thousands took to the streets to have their say president medvedev addressed the protesters in his annual state of the union speech in the week promising widespread political reforms some of which are already underway in the newly elected state duma press cannot report.

the time for change has come. people are tired of not being able to promptly solve the most pressing issues people are tired of having their interests ignored speeding and his fourth and final state of the union address the president was that a set of proposals which have already been deemed to be sweeping political reform he wants to change the rules for the registration of political parties as well as for taking porting actions in fact a total ground up rebuild of the tool system today governors in russia are up for him to directly by the president they used to be elected in the ninety's but this was cancelled in the thousands now the meeting with wants to bring the vote back as part of the move to vertical eyes power in russia it took over a decade to build the current political system of power but now russia's regions are told it's time to start gaining more independence from us. the president's

proposed reforms will also hit the state duma which will include two hundred twenty five deputies each independently elected within their own to eat oil constituency and when it comes to new parties in order to register political parties need to gather at least ten thousand approval signatures and have representatives in over a half of the eighty nine regions the new initiative is to reduce this figure to five hundred which should give the green light for more political forces the president's speech followed the recent parliamentary election which caused widespread discontent among the public the biggest brutus rally since the collapse of the use of sarin have been taking place across the country with tens of thousands of russians shouting out accusations of fraud and other violations were fifty criminal cases have been opened looking into the allegations while the results from more than twenty polling stations have been canceled russia has enormous potential enormous human capital physical capital and has the potential to

become a world leader and they would like the pressure the educated people would like to play a part in that the president praised the legal right to express opinion warrant any attempts to manipulate and provoke the people will you not be accepted up with him when you know it's going to then that we won't allow extremists or probably caters to draw society into their shady enterprises we won't allow interference from outside in our internal affairs russia means democracy not chaos but getting back to the reforms to the media to finance to another proposal concerning his own post as well you know order to run for president independent candidates have to gather at least two million approval signatures from voters three hundred thousand that's the new figure currently being proposed which will most likely widen competition for russia's top job even though the president doesn't plan to run for a second term in office it doesn't mean the reforms will be forgotten the meeting

needed if he's aiming for the prime minister's seat if he wins the upcoming presidential vote in mark. is going to have already moscow. if you go along with us as well to get more coverage of the mass protests in russia's capital this video direct from the site of the rally and you tube channel while you're online as well to get a twitter feed of course for the latest firsthand impressions from a correspondent for that little story and as well you get a full background on the protests much more comment much more report as well as. dot com. more news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images. from the streets of kandahar. operation.

activists in syria say the opposition held city of homs is on the heavy fire from thousands of government troops and tanks there calling on the arab league to dispatch observers to the area it wants an advance party of monitors flew into damascus this week to prepare for the arrival of primary arab observers their mission is to oversee a peace plan that guarantees that the regime ends its crackdown activists claim hundreds of civilians on the run in recent days twin suicide blasts in damascus targeting government buildings also killed forty four on friday the regime's under a cellar heavy sanctions right now from the u.s. and the e.u. results the sarah furth reports it's the syrian people who are feeling the squeeze . it's been nearly ten months since syria's uprising began the capital of damascus has remained largely sheltered from the conflict. in the bustling sun so it seems like it's business as usual as one says sets in the winds of change have begun to

float a little stronger the arab league's impose tough economic sanctions the effects of which have been felt even head in a poor area in the damascus interests and her family struggling to make ends meet. has learning difficulties for the beans for a living that he barely makes a hundred and fifty syrian pounds a day three dollars to support him and he's white. now the fuel for his vending cart has become harder to get hold of with the economic sanctions. there are less products available and the prices are pushed higher there have been fights over gas we've been trying to manage by cutting back as much as we can but sometimes when we can't afford it which is don't eat the economic situation in syria was one of the areas president had been faints be making very well be it. for a population that it started seeing the results of economic opportunity. financial

transactions. and blackouts become the new and. they could be even the financial times ahead. because of the economic sanctions people rushed to stop fuel and gas just. people are a little bit afraid of the fact of water or gas my home out this is where you see these queues this in place by the arab league it was hate the sanctions which the government had and when it came to ending the violence in the country because inside syria at the moment many feel it every day people are looking for economic sanctions so it's just taking. the one hit. has become part of the daily life of many people here in syria. from the arab league will be paving the way for an observer mission to at the end of the month much opposition they remain skeptical about whether that to bring about any change

. in the west of the conflict areas change can come and they meet tesing is imperative to the families like. finding life under the sanctions increasingly desperate search. damascus. the inside track only is most momentous events. meeting you that's where journalist. but we couldn't stop thinking. what if the make and mistake. of whatever international correspondent sharing her firsthand reflections about reporting from the nato strike zone in war torn libya. north korea still mourning the death of its leader kim jong il who passed away last saturday from a heart attack at the age of sixty nine his death was announced on state t.v. on monday by a weeping newscaster and thousands of people were shown crying in the streets is

youngest son kim jong un as now already being named as supremely leader to keep it in the city going the former rulers bodies now lying in state at the capital pyongyang as north koreans continue to pay their final respects with a funeral planned for december the twenty eight news of his death for the country's neighbors on i alert japan called a special security meeting fearing instability in the region while south korea says its military is on standby to beale's asia specialist written extensively on the korean region says it's still hard to predict the impact kim's death is going to have one of events on the peninsula. the americans i think at the moment not moving climate because they want to keep tension on the korean peninsula our way of contain china that sour i would read the american response whether they will decide that it's they won't come back a negotiator we don't yet know if we have a smooth transfer of power in the in the north miles i think it's likely.

it will. we will move forward perhaps not this year but the following year when this new government in seoul and we may get a return you like to the engagement all three of the previous five years ago. if on the other hand there's some sort of turmoil and more if the thinks this is an opportunity. then we may get into don't shoot from the start and then. who knows what will happen to lead in the program or shutting off the flow of deadly drugs when he was slamming restrictions on the sale of the chemicals to the u.s. to execute convicts american officials are running out of options for. the libyan uprising that began in february and ended in october as one of the top ten events that shaped almost a whole year of broadcasting from us on r.t.

the civil war so a nato led coalition intervene with thousands of deadly airstrikes which frequently cause civilian casualties art is rare for national covered the revolution from inside libya and their looks back on her experience. we arrived in labor in the evening this is how you'd expect this kind of story to start but actually we crossed that unusual border when the sun was too high. our driver told us to be careful we all thought that was a little bit unnecessary. but he explained that they sway nato and qaddafi. could both blame each other if john this got killed. when our first night in tripoli we got

a very warm welcome rixos hotel we stayed was just a kilometer or two away from. his residence. and that was bombed that night as it had never been before and would never be wards . it was literally shaking curtains in our rooms were moved even with doors firmly closed my bed was just beside a glass wall i moved to dig. into the room because i was scared that an explosion could destroy literally. my western colleagues explaining that. rixos hotel at the time was the safest place in libya because nato knew best were drawn in this war but we couldn't stop thinking. what if they make a mistake the residents of secrecy with this search here in st louis have been woken up by a strike in the middle of the night and some old bombs landed here this story as

you can see behind me some rolled three story buildings. and there were no. rational rescuers at the scene. only man who bare hands. and one after another they pulled out five dead bodies. wishing i could see that but is themselves. because they were just wrapped up a blanket. five live band all. in the mall we heard that they were free little babies among the dead. they will line there. the cold metal tables still in pampers. and next morning nato confirmed. it had made a mistake intended target during last night's best strike in tripoli was

a military missile. however from our initial assessment. it appears that one what it did not strike the intended target due to a weapons systems failure. of course i wanted to meet qaddafi or his son say for this every journalist did but that was kind of impossible. as you remember one day after a news conference my friend and a time photographer came to me and pointing at the man. in his suit told me he wants to meet you the next night i got a call the card he said wait someone told me weeks back to them to blindfold us but they didn't do anything like that. you know the option of hold the line to the room and no one paid any attention to. what he was different when he entered we all noticed we all knew that he is right now in the room. there was an injury

common knowledge from a. very powerful man. he invited me to follow him in a separate room and grill me with questions many questions like what do you think about what do you think about the uprising hey and maybe what do you think about me what do you think about my father but i was calm and confident. and then he suddenly stopped and looked at my shoulders high heels. and he went. sweetie what about your questions and you know he looked like he didn't take me seriously. charlie and i looked at my notes and on the first questions there was did you or your father. give the order to kill civilians. but i didn't tell him that and i was like smiling just ordinary questions.

and he said ok let's go and that interview was one of the past interviews in my life if not the best interview safe was very sincere. very open and he thought always before answering that was really literally electricity and that trend. will last next morning and i had a feeling that i would never see this country again. i didn't go back six weeks later. but that was a different country already with new faces new heroes new everything. the country i had traveled in the summer two thousand and eleven it is now just a part of history for good. reflection of their one of our international correspondents every day right up to the new year we're bringing you more personal reflections from our correspondents

who saw in the biggest stories of twenty eleven to bring you here to you because she was them as well it's also want to website out. north korea is still mourning the death of its leader kim jong il who passed away last saturday from a heart attack at the age of sixteen are actually brought you that story a little bit earlier on let's go and talk now about nigeria one of our top stories as well of course they have been five blasts close to christian churches across nigeria today killing at least thirty five the radical muslim sect claimed responsibility for the attacks the group was involved in days of violent clashes with military forces that killed at least sixty in the past few days let's talk more about this cross live to prove professor of african political history yet to tell because he only joining us on the line from tel aviv professor thanks ever so much being on the program as i just mentioned. says it's it was responsible for today's blast what do we know about this group and what can can be read into the

tiding of today's attacks. well the only one in a serious change of it takes me by extremist islamists in nigeria we have to find out what is their aim their. whole country and the courtroom. to do it by terrible by explosion is actually quote unquote cheap because they do not need big army they do not need. special units airplanes nothing they need four five people who will be able to fool all to play explosion in the center. crowded and to make this explosion but they thought they believe by their will they could bring the country and that their

control evolution they had may be your. keep them. is there are many people who are free from the house the village change of tactic here. has there been a change of tactics here previously they were responsible back in august for a car bombing at the u.n. headquarters in a budget twenty three died and they've been known in the past to target security forces state institutions this time public places they were they were churches easy targets is there a change of tactic here now do you think. well it's hard to tell because these extremist extremist groups they believe in what they are doing and then do doing it for pleasure they do believe that this is the only way for them to bring islam to reign in the country in africa and in the world

this is their final target to bring to bring the will and. long is the believe in the way to achieve. they will continue and how they've been emboldened by the arab spring that we've witnessed over the last twelve months. excuse me how they've been involved how do you think. the arab spring that we've witnessed over the last twelve months where you see how governments fall oh. yes yes thank you of course there is a connection because when these people have any. proof that the way of terror their way of the most ration their way of bringing islam in the first the first. the first target.

succeeded in. egypt in. libya in tunisia and so over this is there any example they were looking for and if it succeeded their real succeed in major euro and they believe in it and they see that it's a really good way to. to obtain their aim it is true that in egypt it's not violent into the area it was not the violence but in other places syria is painted in yemen it was violent but these examples are very very very big mystery for this group to say to themselves to convince themselves look this is the way we can we say ok thanks for your thoughts on

a problem with us here kitty aggression from television is appreciated. thank you for taking around the world in brief the my news headlines with a suicide bomber in northern afghanistan blew himself up during a funeral killing nineteen including a member of the national parliament that attack took place at the end of the ceremony as mourners repairing to leave no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but local officials suspect the taliban are responsible so. rare in that province it's considered one of the calmest regions in the country of course it didn't stop the trouble today in yemen's capital security forces have opened fire on protesters it's killed nine says tens of thousands marched today to the ex president's palace demanding that he should be tried for months of violent crackdowns on anti-government demonstrations and estimated seventeen hundred people have been killed in clashes since the uprising began in february signed a power transfer agreement ending his thirty three year rule and giving way to his deputy to take. away from violence and warfare happy

news it is of course the festive season and with christmas trees lighting up all day today let's take a look at some people celebrating the holiday in different parts of the world in bethlehem the west bank christian minority gathered with wrist to commemorate the birth of jesus thousands of palestinians from inside the west bank also converged on the. pretty pictures there and then jury midnight mass at the vatican the pope grounded on the commercialism of christmas urging followers to look past the superficial glitter and concentrate instead on the holidays true meaning. energetic scenes from the capital of taiwan people flock to see a christmas eve parade a very colorful one including acrobats and they marching band the youngsters enjoying it very much as you can see up with festive sights and sounds of. the u.s. commonly uses drugs to execute convicts but the local manufacturers cease production

last year and the european union is now restricted supplies. of the fatal compound more than forty death row prisoners have been executed by lethal injection in america this last year alone and some activists say that in many cases the chemical used is far from humane now authorities are having difficulty finding a new source but as artie's of a ballot explains the shortage could actually be making the situation worse. they've tried hanging electrocution and most recently a drug used to euthanize animals but now american jails will find it much harder to kill prisoners on death row the main supply line for its lethal injections has been cut off after the e.u. slaps new restrictions on drug exports i really think this will make a difference and we will see the effects of this this control order in the coming months that the the u.s. allies on european drugs for use in executions and without them they're going to be

stuck and lives will be saved specific execution drugs aren't made in the e.u. but several american states have been importing sedatives instead drugs designed to help being used to hurt. exports of drugs like sodium thiopental will now be controlled to stop their use in a three part lethal cocktail the in a static was being used to put the condemned inmate to sleep as another drug paralyzed before the final heart stopper was administered without that initial numbing stage lethal injections are unconstitutional under u.s. law the usual supply for these drugs has been dwindling since the only u.s. manufacturers ceased production last year american prisons though found an alternative source right here in west london for this fairly honest evening driving school buildings also shared by dream farmer a british firm exporting british drugs to us prisons to kill people the u.k. government soon found out and banned its use so american prisons searched elsewhere

r.t. reported in may how some states have begun using pen to barbara told a drug normally used to put pets to sleep that's never been tested for human executions its primary use for humans is to treat epilepsy but it has no pain killing properties many feel its use on death throes tantamount to torture this can cause excruciating pain if something goes wrong and because we have no tests we can't guarantee that nothing will go around so people are at risk of not just being killed being tortured to death following a report danish manufacturer impose their own restrictions to prevent printed barber tools misuse the new e.u. embargo covers eight barbiturates in total including painted by us stockpiles will eventually run dry but many fear it's only a matter of time before prisons try again with something else unfortunately the death merchants in the us can sometimes be creative in terms of what they put to

use in order to put people to death and so i think what we need is a core switch that if other drugs should appear on the market and we discover the u.s. is is miss you. those we can quickly have a quick procedure to add those to the list without in a way to another year aside from lethal injection other methods like hanging and firing squad are still sanctioned in the us but are now rarely used these new restrictions may not choke off the drug supply completely but it will certainly tighten the noose on america's controversial death penalty. either bennett artsy london. come over shortly we invite you to join our team on a trip through russia's north towards the arctic it's the subject of our special reports in the next half hour to come the fall but i'll recap our top stories of the last seven days of the week and continues a couple of minutes. into

the future new year's wishes on technology updates next generation places made from super strong culture lately building materials to help a little old nuclear isotopes cleaner planet seems to the revolutionary way to get rid of our growing man fields and a long list of russian leaders says. the central.

plot from moscow this is all t. it's the weekly about the storms seven days tens of thousands rally peacefully in the russian capital demanding a rerun of the elections while president of the better. reforms promising an overhaul of the country's political system. international pressure mounts on the syrian regime to end its crackdown on protesters as violence intensifies across the country for the people struggling under a set of western sanctions soaring prices and food shortages of hit the already.